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Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 58, 8 March 1916, Page 2

UNKNOWN

FATAL EXPLOSION, ON FARM. MAN BURNED TO DEATH. TWO OTHERS INJURED. The explosion of a quantity of benzine led to tli e death, under shocking circumstances, of Mr John Peters, postmaster at Kaiaua, near Pokeno, Auckland Province, on Tuesday night. The accident occurred on the farm of Mr. G. H. Stubbs, at Mangatangi, between the two places mentioned. Mr. Peters had been to Auckland that morning, and was returning to Pokeno to Kaiaua on foot when he was given a lift in a van .belonging to Mr. Stubbs, who then offered to take him further on in his motor-car, as he had about seven miifes to go. A Maori named Rangi, employed on the farm, was told to fill the tank of the car with benzine-', but by mistake poured a quantity of kerosene into the tank. This had to be pumped out, and Mr. Stubbs'proceeded to do so, by the light of a candle placed on a ledge at the back of the car. Mr. Peters, meanwhile, was sitting on th e front seat of the vehicle, and Rangi at th? back. Apparently some residue of benzine was pumped out of the tank, in addition to the kerosene, for there was an extremely violent explosion, which blew Mr. Stubbs out of the door and hurled the Maori through a window. When they wore sufficiently recovered from the shock to ascertain what had happened, they found that Mr. Peters had fallen back in the car, and that the Ilatter, with the shed and a quantity of benzine stored within, was burning so fiercely that there was no hope of rescuing the unfortunate man. When the fire had died down, only a few charred remains of the body were to be seen, while the car, valued at £1,200, had been totally destroyed.

In spite of a bad shaking, Mr Stubbs rode 15 miles to Mercer for assistance, and at an inquest held on Wednesday a verdict of accidental death was returned. Mr. Stubbs believes that Mr. Petdrs was blown -up to the roof of the shed and stunned, because ho was not heard to cry out for help. The deceased was a married man with three children. He had beer; postmaster and mail carrier at Kaiaua for seven oreight years, and was much esteemed in the' district. The Maori Pangi, was badly cut about the face, arms, ajul legs in falling upon the ground after he was blown out of th buillding.